Speed-changer



(No Model.)

A} HARDING. SPEED CHANGER.

PatentedJan. 10, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST HARDlNG, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

SPEED-CHANGER.

SPECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,1 0, dated January 10,1888.

Application filed April 30, 1887. Serial No. 236,73l. I (No model.)

ratus by which the power transmitted from or through it may be so regulated that the speed maybe varied or changed; and my invention consists, essentially, in a pulley having a pe rlphery or rim adapted to be expanded or contracted, said pulley being carried by a swinging or pivoted. frame, so that it may accommodate its position to the expansion or contraction of its rim.

Myinvention consists, particularly, in a pulley having independent peripheries or rims which are adapted to be reciprocally contracted and expanded, said pulley being mounted in a pivoted or swinging frame, and independent belts extending from the power sourceto one rimof the pulley and from the other rim of said pulley to the mechanism to be driven.

My invention further consists in the novel expansible pulley and its details of construct1on,*which I shall hereinafter fully describe. The object of my invention is to provide a practical and effective speed changer.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsfor a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my expanding pulley. Fig. 2 is a crosssection on line Y Y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing its arrangement as part of the speed-changing apparatus. y

A isa Irame, whichis pivoted or suspended from the shaft a, and is adapted to have a swinging motion about said shaft as a center. In this frame are the bearings B, in which are mounted the journals 0 of the pulley, which I here designate as a whole by the letter 0.

Through these journals extends a. rod or shaft,

D, which is keyed to the journals in such a manner that it rotates with them and at the same time may have a longitudinal sliding movement therein, which may be effected in any suitable manner-as by means of the levers E on each side, pivoted below at the points 6, connected at their centers with the shaft D, and connected at their tops by a crossbar, 6, to the center of which is connected a handle, 6, by which said levers may be moved on their pivotal points, thus moving the rod or shaft D. The pulley G has a peripheral band, 0, preferably made in two sections or parts, divisible on the vertical line XX, each section being connected suitably by arms or frame-work c with the journals, which thus form, in connection with tlieshaft or rod D, the axis of the pulley. From each edge of each section or part of this band 0 extends a ciroumferential flange, 0 the adjacent'fianges on the line of division being bolted together at 0*, so as to make the band 0' of the pulley practically a continuous one, but still allow it to be separated for the insertion of the expanding devices, to be described. The adjacent flange c on one of the parts of the band 0 is made with an angular portion, c, in the longitudinal plane of the pulley, which said portion forms a seat for the pivot-pins f of the double-elbow or angle levers F.

G is one independent rim of the pulley and G is the other. These rims consist of sections, as shown in Fig. 2,'of any suitable number, each section being mounted between the flanges c and guided therein in their movements to or from the center line of the pulley. From the inner surface of each section of each rim extends inwardly and radially a stem,g, the outer end of which is slotted at g, and the inner end plays in a socket or seat, 0, formed in the frame of the pulley. The opposing arms of the double-elbow or angle levers F are eachprovided with anti-friction rollers f, which fit within the slotted outer ends of the stems 9, just within the independent movmovable sections of the rims G G. The inner ends of the angle-levers are provided with teeth f which mesh with teeth don the shaft or rod D.

H are springs which are located between the end teeth, cl, of said rod or shaft and the body or frame of the pulley.

The operation of this pulley is as follows: If

(Fig. 1) the rod or shaftD be moved by means levers will be so moved on their pivotal centers at f as to throw their right-hand arms upwardly and to withdraw their left-hand arms,

whereby the right-hand rim, G, will have all 5 of its sections forced outwardly to a greater diameter, while the left-hand rim, G, will have its sections withdrawn to a smaller diameter, said sections moving suitably in radial planes in the guideflanges By drawing the shaft in a reverse direction the reverse of this operation takes place, the rim G being contracted and the rim G being expanded. The springs II are for the purpose of resisting the tendency of the expanded rim, which, by r reason of its greater diamater, has a greater velocity, from throwing the angle-levers over farther, thereby tending to disarrange the relative adjustment of the diameters. In Fig: 3 will be seen the connection of this pulley in the speed-changer.

I is a pulley, which may represent the source of power, and from this pulley an endless belt, 1', passes to the rim G of the expanding pulley. From the rim G thereof extends an endless belt, j, to a pulley, J, on the other side, which may represent the mechanism to be driven.

It will readily be seen that the speed of the pulley I in this arrangement is lessened at the pulley J, snpposingsaid pulleys to be of equal diameter.

Now, by contracting the rim G and expanding the rim G, so that said latter rim has a greater diameter than the former, the reverse of this will take place, and the speed at J will be greater than the speed at I.

It is obvious that by reason of the expansion of one rim and the contraction of the other the pulley must change its position to accommodate the shortening of that belt which passes around the expanded rim and the lengthening of that belt which passes around the contracted rim. This is effected by moving the pulley in the swinging or pivoted frame A. It will be seen, also, that in this arrangement I can vary or change thespeed without stopping the motion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In aspeed-ehanger, the combination of a pulley having independent rims or peripheries which can be reciprocally expanded and contracted, whereby the relative diameters of said rims may be varied, a belt from the power mechanism passing to one of said rims, a belt passing from the other rim to the mechanism to be driven, and a swinging or pivoted frame by which said pulley is carried, whereby it may accommodate itself to positions required 60. by the change in diameter of its rims, substantially as herein described.

2. In a speed-changer, a pulley having rims composed of separate sections, in combination with a longitudinally-sliding shaft in the axis of the pulley, and connections by which the sliding movement of the shaft is caused to move radially the sections of the rim ,whereby they are alternately contracted or expanded to decrease or increase the diameter of the pulley-rims, substantially as herein described.

3. In a speedchanger, a pulley having a suitable frame and a fixed peripheral band with circumferential flanges thereon, forming guides, and independent sections mounted in said guides and forming the pulley-rims, in combination with a longitudinally sliding shaft in the axisof the pulley and connections by which the sliding movement of the shaft causes the sections of the rim to move radially, whereby one rim is contracted and the other expanded, substantially as herein de scribed.

4. In a speed-changer, a pulley having independentrims composed of separate sections, in combination with a longitudinally-sliding shaft in the axis of the pulley and pivoted levers connected with the sections of each rim and engaged by the shaft, whereby, by the movement of said shaft the levers are operated to alternately expand one rim and contract the other, substantially as herein described.

5. In a speed-changer, a pulley having a frame and a peripheral band with circumferential flanges forming guides, and independent rims consisting ofseparatesections mounted in said guides, in combination with a sliding shaft mounted in the axis of the pulley, and having teeth, pivoted double-elbow or angle levers having teeth engaging with the teeth of the shaft and their opposing arms connected with the sections of the independent rims, whereby one set ofsections may be forced outwardly,while the other set may be drawn inwardly, to vary the relative diameters of the sectional rims, substantially as herein described.

6. In a speed-changer, a pulley having a frame and a peripheral band formed in two parts or portions, each provided with circumferential flanges forming guides, the adjacent ones of which are bolted together to connect the two parts, and the independent pulleyrims G G, composed of independent sections mounted in the guides of the band, in combination with the longitudinally-sliding shaft having teeth, and the pivoted double-elbow or angle levers, the inner ends of which engage the teeth and the opposing arms of which are connected with the sections of the independent rims, whereby one rim is expanded while the other is contracted, substantially as herein described.

7. In a speedchanger, a pulley having a frame, a peripheral band provided with circumferential flanges forming guides, and independent rims G G, composed of separate sections mounted in the guides, each section havinga radial stem fitting in a socket of the frame of the pulley, said stem having aslotted outer end, in combination with the pivoted double-elbow or angle levers, the opposing arms of which have rollers engaging the slotted ends of the stems of the sections of the rims, the inner ends of said levershaving teeth, and the longitudinally-sliding, shaft stantially as herein described.v

8. In a speed-changer, a pulley having a frame, a peripheral band with circumferential flanges forming guides, and the independent rims G G, composed of separate sections mounted'in the guides, in combination with thepivoted double-elbow or angle levers, the opposing arms of which are connected with the independent sections of the rims G G and their inner ends provided with teeth, thelongit-udinally-sliding shaft or rod in the axis of the pulley and having teeth engaging the teeth of the levers, and the springs H on the shaft, substantially as herein described.

9,- Ina speed-changer, the pivoted frame A, having bearings; and the pulley 0, having journals mounted therein, said pulley having a frame, a peripheral band with guide-flanges, and independent sectional rims G'GQmounted therein, in combination with the sliding shaft mounted in the journals of the pulley, and the pivoted double-elbow or angle levers, the arms of which engage the sections of the rims and the sliding shaft, whereby the movement of the shaft effects the expansion and contraction of the rims, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AUGUST HARDING.

Witnesses:

I S. H. N oURsE, H. 0. LEE. 

